brunet



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l. A. BRUNET.

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING PREPAID GOODS. No. 372,010.

Patented Oct. 25, 1887.

WL' in ass as N. PETERS. Pholo-Lilhagnplmr, Wmhinglom D. C.

'(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. BRUNE-T.

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING PREPAID GOODS. No. 372,010. Patented Oct. 25,1887.

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UNTTE STATES ATENT Trice.

AMEDEE BRUNET, or PARIS, FRANCE.

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING PREPAID GOODS.

sPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 372,010, datedOctober25,1887.

Application filed February 3, 1887. Serial No. 226,403. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AMI'JDEE BRUNET, of the city of Paris, France, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for the Delivery ofPrepaid Goods, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to apparatus for antomatically delivering smallpackets of bonbons or other articles; and it consists of a drum dividedinto compartments of a size suitable to contain the articles to bedelivered, and caused to revolve by the action of gravity, and of anelcctricallyoperated detent, which prevents the drum revolving until acoin of the proper denomination is introduced into the apparatus.

Reference isto be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which-- Figure 1 shows a central vertical section ofthe distributor. Fig. 2 shows a complete view of the feeding mechanism.Fig. 3 shows aside view of one of the feeding-tubes. Fig. 4shows asectional View made through the axis of the distributing-drum. Fig. 5shows the respective positions of the counterweights ofthe feed ingmechanism.

I11 the figures like letters refer to like parts.

Theapparatusconsists,essentially,ofadrum, A, whose periphery is dividedinto a number of compartments by division-plates F, to contain thearticles, It, to be delivered. The drum A is mounted to revolve uponashaft, N, supported in a closed casing, Q.

B isa chute of flattened form arranged at one side of the drum, andhaving at its upper end a .mouth or aperture, 0, into which pennies orcoins of the proper denomination are introduced, and at its lower end areceptacle, M, in which the coins are received. Within the chute B, andat opposite sides thereof, are two contacts, D O, in circuit with abattery, L. E is an elcctro-magnet in the circuit, the soft-ironarmature F of which controls the detent G, which retains the drum. Thecontact G projects into the chute l3, and it is carried by a slottedguide bar, S. H is a wheel mounted on the same axis as the drum, andprovided with pins or projections U, which strike the projection I ofthe guide-bar S and Withdraw the contact 0, so as to allow the coin tofall. K is a shield or guard, beneath which the articles are deliveredas the drum revolves.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The coin in passing downthe chute strikes the contacts D 0, thereby closing the circuit andexciting the elect-romagnet E. The armature F is attracted and thedetent G raised so as to release the drum A, whereupon the weight of thepackets, which are properly disposed around the drum A for the purpose,rotates the drum by the action of gravity, together with the wheel H,and delivers a packet onto the inclined surface J and discharges it fromthe apparatus. The contact 0 is withdrawn and the coin allowed to fallinto the receptacle M by the teeth U of wheel H acting on a projection,I, of the bar S. The direct action of the teeth U may be replaced by theaction of a pawl and ratchet mounted at any suitable point in themechanism. At this moment the circuit is broken,and the armature F,being no longer attracted by the electro-magnet, is returned to itsoriginal position byspring X, and the detent G again engages with thenext succeeding division-plate T and prevents the further revolution ofthe drum untila fresh coin is introduced into the chute 1?. As soon as apacket has been delivered from the drum onto the incline J, itisreplaced by another packet fed by the feed mechanism a. This latterconsists of a certain number of tubes, 1), containing a number ofpackets or articles to be delivered. The tubes are provided at theirlower end with a slit, 0, through which may be passed a flexible rod orstick, (I, such as a whalebone or steel ribbon. The objcctot thisflexible stick is to retain the packets within the tubes, and also toopen these tubes successively, in order that the packets may be fed atproper time. For this object the stick cl is connected with acounter-weight, c, carrying a pawl, f, which is pressed by a spring, h,against the teeth of a rack, g. The upper end of the pawl is providedwith an incline, 2', upon which rests, at proper intervals of time, thepin k, carried by a second counter-weight, Z. The counter-weight Z iscaused to descend gradually when the drum A rotates upon its axis. Tothis end the counter-weightl is carried by a string or wire, m, woundupon a grooved pulley, a. The pulley it may freely turn upon ICO theshaft 1); but the rotary motion of the drum A is communicated to itthrough a pawl, q, engaging into a ratchet-wheel, r, keyed upon theshaft p.

5 From this description it will be easily understood that the string mis unwound from the pulley n, and the counter-weight Z descends inproportion as the drum A rotates and delivers the packets or articles.When a suit- [0 able length of the string has become unwound, the pin70, carried by the counter-weight Z, presses upon the incline t of thepawl f, so that the latter is withdrawn from the rack-teeth g. At thismoment the counter-weight e is liberated and may freely fall until theratchet is again stopped by the following tooth of the rack. In thismovement the counter-weight withdraws the flexible stick at from one ofthe tubes 1). When this tube has been emptied,

' the same operation is repeated automatically and the following tube isopened so as to feed the packets or articles onto the drum A.

The apparatus may be modified without departing from the invention. Forexample,

- any other arrangement may be adopted for insuring communicationbetween contacts 0 and D, as well as any other means of withdrawingcontact 0 to allow the coin to fall into the drawer on the delivery of apacket.

I claim 1. In an apparatus for delivering prepaid goods, the feedingmechanism which consists in the combination of the tubes 1), theflexible strip or stick d, the counter-weights e and Z, 5 and thepawlfand rack g, the whole operating substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. An apparatus for delivering prepaid goods, consisting in thecombination, with a rotary drum, A, arranged to carry packets, of anelectro-magnet, E, for controlling the locking device of the drum, whichmagnet is excited by the passage of a current when the circuit is closedby the introduction of a coin into a tube or chute, the coin thenforming part of the circuit, substantially as herein described.

3. In an apparatus for delivering prepaid articles, the drum A,electro-magnet E, in circuit with the battery L, armature F, and. detentG, for retaining and releasing the drum, in combination with contacts 0D and chute B, so arranged that a coin passed into the chute will itselfclose and form part of the circuit by resting on the contacts 0 D,substantially as described. 5 5

4. The drum A, electro-magnet and armature E F, in circuit with batteryL, contacts 0 D, chute B, and with a coin for closing the circuit torelease the drum, in combination with the wheel H, having projections U,guidebar S,'carrying contact G, and projection I, for releasing the coinand breaking the circuit, substantially as described.

The foregoing specification of my improvements in apparatus for thedelivery of prepaid goods signed by me this 18th day of October, 1886.

AMEDEE BRUNET.

Witnesses:

Rom. M. IIooPER, ALBERT MoREAU.

